Method and machine for knitting tubular fabric having closed ends



Dec. 10, 1929.

c. MILLER METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING TUBULAR FABRIC HAVING CLOSED ENDS Original Filed Marqh 23. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 10, 1929. M G, MILLER 1,738,787

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING TUBULAR FABRIC HAVING CLOSED ENDS Original Filed March 23, 1921 2 Sheets-sheet 2 ii atented Dec. ill), 192$ max 0. MILLER, on cumnnnnnnn, nnon'n renami- METHODZAND MACHINE [non KNITTING TUBULAR FABRIC AV'ING} CLOSED ENDS Application filed March 23, 1921, Serial No. 454,779. Renewed March 5, 1929.

The invention relates to the knitting of a tubular fabric having a closed endand includes a method, as well as a construction, which. is adapted for the setting up and knitting of such a fabric on'the needles of a knitting machine of the circular type. The needles ofthistype of machine are normally arranged in an endless circular series and toperinit the setting-up and knitting of a closed end thereon the needles are positioned in two adjacent series so related that the setting up yarn .may be taken alternately by needles in diii'erent' series and that a pocket may be knit? thereon which will per-v mit the needles to be re-positioned in an endless circular series while the marginal stitches about the edge of the pocket are held by the needles. After the closed pocket has been set up and knit upon the two se- 2 ries of needles, and the needles have'been re-position'ed in an endless series the knitting may he proceeded with on the endless series by rotary or reciprocating knitting to complete the article of which the pocket forms a part.

The invention is well adapted for the production of closed toe stockings upon a circular knitting machine and will be further described in connection with its application thereto as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a hand operated circular knitting machine adapted for the knitting of a closed toe stocking and shows the parts of the machine arranged for forming the setting-up course preparatory to knitting the pocket which is to form the closed toe of a stocking, Fig. 2

is a sectional view on line 2 of Fig.1, Fig.

no 3 is a partial sectional view on line 3, Fig.

1, Fig. 4 is a detail showing a part of the partially formed setting up course, Fig. 5

is a sectional view on line 5, Fig. 1, showing the parts in position for completing the setting-up course, Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the parts in position for circular,

knitting, Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the needles holding the loops of the completed setting-up course and Fig. 8 is a detail showing a part of the completed settingseries of needles, as indicated in Fig. 6, o'r

.ating the semi-circular series-of needles in up "course held by the needle preparatory to knitting the closed pocket.

In the machine shown in the drawing the needles 2 are normally in a circular series and are mounted to reciprocate in grooves formed in a rotary needle carrier. The needle carrier is in the form of a dial or disk having the grooved upper surface in which the radiating needle grooves are formed dished so that the needles move in paths inclined to the axis of the dial. The dial is divided diametrically into two half-sections 4 andi6 which are so connected by hin es 8- that they may be held end to end to man a circular needle dial carrying a circular tit) may be folded back to back to form a semicircular needle bed carrying two oppositel inclined series of'needles, the paths of whic cross each other within the inner edged the bed as indicated in Figs. 1 to 5. The sections of'the dial are carried by a support 10 having an annular flange fitting within a bearing in the machine frame and provided with beveled gear teeth engaging a 7 beveled driving gear 12. The section 4 is fixed toor formed integrally with the support while the section 6 is connected'with the support by the hinges 8. The section 6. may be held rigidly in position end'to end with the section 4 by a latch 14 or in osi'- tion back to back with the'section 4 y a latch 16. Alternate needles are provided with long butts while the intermediate needles are provided with short butts and the dividing line between thesections of the dial is midway between adjacent needle grooves so that the short butt needles in one series. are in vertical alinement' with'the long butt needles in the other series when the dial sections are back to back.

The cams for actuating the needles'when arranged in a circular series, and for actuthe dial section 4: when settingup andnhit ting aclosed pocket, comprise a stitch cam 18 and two side or needle advancing cams 20 and 22. The. cams are mounted on a fixed cam carrying plate 24 and the side cams are somounted that they may be held in any one of three positions by a spring latch 26 to render them inactive, active on the long butt needles only, or active on all of the needles, as will'be further explained. The series of needles carried by the dial section 6 are actuated when the section 'isback to back with the section 4 by a similar stitch cam 28 and side cams 30 and 32. These cams are mounted on a camvcarrier plate 34, which is pivoted at 36 to the frame so that it ma be swung into and out of active position. en in active position it may be locked by a pin 38, passed through an arm 40 projecting from the plate and engaging a hole in the machine frame.

The yarn is fed to the needles by a yarn carrier finger 42 which may be swung from side to side of the stitch cam or cams to and 30 properly position it with relation to the wave or waves formed in the needles by the active side and stitch cams.

In knitting a closed toe stocking upon this machine the mode of operation may be as follows Y Assumin that the parts are in position for as indicated in Fig. 6, the completed fabric will be run' off the needles and then the side cams 20 and 22 will be withdrawn to inactive position and the needle dial will be rotated so that the stitch camwill withdraw all of the needles to the knock over level. The long butt needles will then be retracted by the operator into inactive position with their butts out of the path of the side cams as indicated in Fig. 1. The dial section 6 is then swung over and latched in the position indicated 1n Figs. 1 to 5 and the cam plate 34 is swung up and locked in active osition. Assuming that the needle carrier is to be moved contra-clockwise in starting the setting-up course-the leading side cams 20 will be movedinto their inner osition "to engage the short needle butts, w ile the other slde cams 22 and 32 will be held in their retracted inactive positions. The end of the yarn will be then looped around one.

or more of the short butt needles which are to be the first to. engage the side cams 20 and 30. The needle carrier will then be rotated in thedirection of the arrow (Fig. 1) and the short butt needles in the upper and lower series will be advanced and retracted by the side and stitch cams so that the yarn will be looped or kinked by needles alternating between the upper and lower series, alternate needles of one series engaging and looping the yarn between or intermediate the alternate needles of the other series, as indicated inFig. 4. After loops of the setting course have been thus, engaged with alternate needles in both series the side cams 20 and30 are withdrawn to inactive position,

the side cams 22 and 32 are adjusted to theirand then bein needles are advanced by the operator to the knock-over level, thus bringing their butts in the path of the side cams. The threadcarrying finger is swung downward in Fig. l to properly position it with relation to these'side cams and the stitch cams, and the needle carrier is then rotated in the reverse direction; During this movement of the needle carrier the long butt needles only are advanced and retracted to take the yarn and the yarn is thus kinked or looped by the needles in both series intermediate vthe short butt needles which already hold loops of the yarn. By the forward and reverse stroke of the needle carrier the yarn is thus looped I upon the needles of both series to comp etc the setting-up course needle carrier the side cams 30 and 32 are withdrawn to inactive position and both cams illustrated in Fig. 8. Before again reversing the movement of the cated to knit a pocket, out of action by the 0 each stroke so that then butts pass over the stitch cam to gradually narrow the fabric picked into actionby the operator to gra ually widen the fabric, as is usual in knitting a toe or heel pocket upon a semi-circular series ofneedles- Whenthe toe pocket is completed the marginal loops; or stitches along one side of the pocket willb'e held-by the upper series of needles 'while, the loops or stitches along; the other side of the pocket will be held by the needles of the lower series. ginal loops of which are held by'the "two series of needles, will permit the dial-section 6 to'be swung back into its initial position while the loops are retained by the needles,

needles being picked 'erator at the end of I The knitting of this pocket, the mar- I as indicated in Fig. 6. To permit this movement of the'dial section 6 the cam plate 34 is swung down. intoinactiveosition as indicated in this figure. After t e dial section is returned to normal position, circular knit-. tin of the foot of the stocking may be procee ed with by rotation of the needle dial and the heel and leg of the stocking may be knit by rotary and oscillatory knitting in the usual manner.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with a circular independent needle machine in which the parts are 0 erated by hand it will beunderstood that it 1s not confined in its application to a machine of this character or to a machine in which the parts are manually manipulated, but may be embodied with advantage in various machines having endless series of needles, and in machines in which the actuation and'control of the needles and other parts'is more or less automatic. It willalso be understood that the specific manner in which'the setting-upendwhich consists in knitting a closed pocket on two adjacent series of needles, changing the relation of the two series of needles to bring the needles into a'single endless series, while retaining the marginal stitches along the edges of the pocket and then continuing the knitting of the fabric on the needles.

2. A method of knitting a closed fabric on the needles of a circular knitting machine which consists in positioning the needles in two adjacent series relative arranged for the delivery or the setting-up yarn to needles alternating between the different series, kmtting a closed pocket on the needles while so positioned'which will permit the restoration of the needles to their initial arrangement while retaining the marginal stitches about the edge of the pocket, returning the needles to their initial arrangement and continuing the knitting on the circular series. e 3. The method of knitting a closedtoe stockin on an endless series of needles which cons1sts in positioning the needles in two adjacent series, engaging loops of a starting course by needles alternating between the .two series, knitting a toe pocket on one series, a marginal loop of which is held by each needle of the two series, restoring the needles to their initial arrangement and then knitting the foot upon the needles While in an endless series. I

l 4. A method of knitting a closed fabric on the needles of a circular knitting machine which consists in' positioning the needles in two adjacent series, engaging loops of the starting course by needles alternating between the two series, knitting a pocket on one series while the other series retain their loops, re-

' positioning the needles in a circular series and then knitting tubular fabric on the circular series. 7 5. A knitting machine having, in combination, a circular series of needles, means for knitting thereon, and means for permitting the needles about one side of the series to be about the other half of the series and may then be returned to normal position in the circular series and means for actuatin the needles to form said starting course an said pocket and to knit when in a circular series.

7. In a knitting machine a needle dial divided diametrically into two half sections movable into position end to end to form a circular dial supporting the needles in a circular series or into position back to back to form a needle bed having series of needles on its outer faces relatively arranged to cooperate in' forming a setting up course.

8. A. carrier for a circular series of needles constructed of parts relatively movable to permit the needles to be positioned in two adjacent cooperating series or in a circular series and to cooperate in each position to knit a single fabric.

9. In a knitting machine a needle carrier for a circular series of needles constructed of parts relatively movable to permit the needles to be positioned in two adjacent cooperating series or in'a circular series, knitting cams for actuating the needles when ina' circular series and for actuating the needles in one of the two adjacent series, and a corresponding set of cams for actuating the needles in the other of the two adjacent. series, the needles in each fabric.

.10. A knitting machine having, in combi- 11. Aknitting machine having, in combi-.

nation, a series of needles, means for positioning the needles in two adjacent series relatively arranged to cooperate in forming a starting course, means for delivering a starting yarn to needles alternating between the different series, means for knitting a closed pocket on the needles while so positioned, means for thereafter positioning the needles in a circular series while retaining the marginal stitchesabout the edge of the pocket, and means for knitting on the circular series of needles.

12. In a knitting machine a needle dial having a dished face grooved toguide the needlesin radiating inclined paths and divided diametrically into two half sections movable into position end to end to form a circular dial carrying a circular series of needles, or into position back to back to form a semi-circular needle bed carrying two oppositely inclined series of needles, the paths of which cross each other within the er edge of the bed,

position cooperating to knit a single sections so mounted that they may be held end to end ta form a circular dial or may be held back to back to form a semi-circular bed having on its opposite sides two oppositely inclined series ofneedles, the paths of which cross each other within the edge of the bed, needles mounted in the grooves, means for actuating the needles when in two oppositely inclined series to form a setting up course, and

to knit a narrowed and widened pocket, and for actuating the needles when in circular series. o

14. In a knitting machine a needle bed having a frusto-conical face grooved to guide the needles and divided diametrically mto two half sections movable into position end to end on opposite sides of the axis to support the needles in a circular series or into position back to back on the 'same side of the axis to form a bed supporting two semi-circular oppositely inclined series of needles, the paths of which cross each other beyond the edge of the bed, and needles mounted in the grooves with l their backsin the bottoms of the grooves.

15. A method of knitting a fabric which consists inknitting a fabric on two adjacent series of needles, changing the relation of the two series of needles to bring the needles into a circular endless series while retaining the marginal stitches along the edge of the fabric and then continuing the knitting of the fabric on the needles. x I

16. A method of knitting a consists in knitting a narrowedand widened pocket on two adjacent series vof needles. changing the relation of the two series of needles to bring the needles into a single needle series while retaining themarginal stitches along the edge of the ocket, and then continuing the knitting of t e fabric on the needles.

17. Aneedle dial having a dished face in which the needle rooves are formed and divided diametrica ly'into two sections movable into position end to end or back to back to locate theneedles in each position so as to cooperate in knitting a single fabric.

18. A needle dial having, its grooved face dished to guide the needles in radiating inclined paths and divided diametrically into two half sections, and a connection between the sections permitting them to be folded back to back, the needles in each position of in knitting a single fabric.

- MAX C. MILLER.

the half sections being arranged to cooperate fabric which I 

